Dope suspended wrestlers at IIS camp and Dangal raise eyebrows

AN international camp held for women wrestlers at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) last month and Haryana Dangal organised by the charitable trust on February 19 and 20 have come under the scanner due to participation of athletes serving provisional suspensions for dope violations.

- FIROZ MIRZA @Chennai

The camp was organised at the IIS, Vijayanagar, Karnataka close on the heels of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the United World Wrestling (UWW) and IIS during the 2024 Paris Olympics last year. "This strategic partnership is designed to foster collaboration and enhance the development of wrestling in India by establishing a framework for mutually beneficial programs, projects, and activities," said an UWW statement soon after the signing of the MoU. Incidentally, an exposure trip to Italy was also planned for a few men and women wrestlers by the IIS after the completion of the camp. One of the selected wrestlers for the trip too was provisionally suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (for SARMS) after prohibited substances were found in his sample taken during an international tournament in July 2023. The trip, however, is unli